Prank Call Kills?

[Moby Vic]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/07/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Unbelievable.

[pottery beige]

is this a hoax..

[Sioso]

nope, it looks legit.............pretty unbelievable.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

is this a hoax..

I think that's everyone's first reaction!

[brydie76]

Well, 2dayFM finally did it. Hope somebody takes some proper action over this and the presenters, producers, etc are sacked at least. Then again, this is the mob that continues to employ Kyle Sandilands....

(Personal opinion here only BTW, don't represent anybody else/any organisations, etc etc)

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by brydie76

Well, 2dayFM finally did it. Hope somebody takes some proper action over this and the presenters, producers, etc are sacked at least. Then again, this is the mob that continues to employ Kyle Sandilands....

(Personal opinion here only BTW, don't represent anybody else/any organisations, etc etc)

Hey, they never felt embarrassed or shut down the shows after they got that 14 year old girl to admit on air she had been raped and made a joke about it...why would this event change their ways? They'll just keep on going because they're "edgy" don'tcha know...

[Moby Vic]

I'm sure this woman was perfectly stable and well adjusted before she did a poor job of screening a telephone call.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

I'm sure this woman was perfectly stable and well adjusted before she did a poor job of screening a telephone call.

agree - i hate anything to do with shock jocks and social commentators, but in my opinion the nurse's suicide was likely to happen at some time. the trigger could have been anything and in this case it seems it was a phone call

[brydie76]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

agree - i hate anything to do with shock jocks and social commentators, but in my opinion the nurse's suicide was likely to happen at some time. the trigger could have been anything and in this case it seems it was a phone call

I would argue the cause was more the international publication and humiliation from said phone call. As I said, the producers could have taken the option of handing the tape over to the hospital (and they could have dealt with the situation quietly). Again though, the same outcome may have arisen- will never know.

Don't agree with somebody's suicide being likely to happen at some time- trying not to descend into "what ifs" here, but each time somebody doesn't committ suicide is more time for them/somebody else to recognise the issues and get them help- very sad this woman didn't have that time. Again though, more speculation that doesn't change the outcome, sorry : )

[cs123]

Absolutely tragic outcome.

You can't really lay blame with the presenters as this sort of thing has been done for decades and there was no malicious intent.

[F6T]

This wasn't like ordering 10 pizzas and sending them to your ex...

At a minimum, it was likely that whoever was pranked, if they fell for it, could face disciplinary action or at worst, lose their job. It is breach of client confidentiality.

This is beyond what anyone would have expected. But given that she was not reprimanded, you do have to wonder if she was a stable individual to start with. You've got to be able to laugh at yourself. It is a terrible shame, as this would have been yesterday's news in no time.

I suppose the knee jerk reaction will now be that no prank calls are to be made in the future.

If it is legit, and it looks as though it is, I wonder how long before the conspiracy theories come out?

[brydie76]

My issue personally isn't with the making of the prank call (although I am not a fan of them, cheap and easy thrills for entertainment), but that the station played it. Whilst they may have gotten legal vetting for it, you would hope the decent and human reaction would be to advise the hospital, and not play it. There had to be a reasonable expectation that people would be adversely affected by this. Agree this poor woman committing suicide is not a foreseeable outcome, but her being reprimanded/suspended/losing her job with public humiliation would be. You would hope they would try to avoid that, forget about ratings for one second, and let the hospital deal with it quietly and discreetly.

And judging by 2dayFM's twitter and Facebook feeds, turns out playing this isn't going to be the ratings hit they must have thought it would be. A lot of angry people out there, imagine a decent hit to both share price and ratings in the near future.

All in all though, I feel so sad for this woman's family and friends. Whilst it does seem there was something going on with her prior to this that may have had an impact on her mental health, it is sad that something like this is what has apparently caused her to feel the need to kill herself. Mother of 2 as well, those poor children. Everything else is really irrelevant, those poor kids don't have thir mum now. I would be much happier if everybody moved their anger away from the hosts (despite personal opinions) and turn it to motivation to help her kids and family. Hope there is a charity drive or similar soon in the Uk for them, I would happily donate.

EDIT- very interesting, people are attacking the Kyle and Jackie O twitter profile too. You do have to think what impact this could have on Austereo/Southern Cross for the near future in the ratings for other stations/mediums.

[CJR09]

saddening, tragic and disgusting - people need to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions...

[MWTB]

Originally Posted by CJR09

people need to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions...

...really?

What is the probability that someone is going to neck themselves because you prank called them? I'd say close enough to 0%. Every kid made a prank call or ten back in the day; I know I sure did, nd as far as I know no one died. You can't put that on the radio presenters. They were having a laugh with no real malice and something completely unthinkable happened.

It is tragic that she ended her life, but putting the blame on the radio presenters for her death due to prank calling her is like trying to suggest that egging someone's house is will make them jump in front of a train.

R.I.P,

[usernametaken]

.....

[LG17]

Nothing wrong with the prank call as far as I'm concerned. In fact, the accents were so bad I'm really surprised it got as far as it did.

This was the woman who put the call through to the nurse we all heard.

For mine, no-one of stable mind would do something this tragic as a result of what happened. The hospital was apparently supporting staff involved and not on a witch hunt so there was no real reason for her to take her own life over it.

There had to be other underlying issues for this tragedy to occur.

For those calling for the blood of the Radio station and the DJs, take a long, deep look inside yourselves.

A simple prank with a totally unforeseen and tragic ending.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by LG17

Nothing wrong with the prank call as far as I'm concerned. In fact, the accents were so bad I'm really surprised it got as far as it did.

This was the woman who put the call through to the nurse we all heard.

For mine, no-one of stable mind would do something this tragic as a result of what happened. The hospital was apparently supporting staff involved and not on a witch hunt so there was no real reason for her to take her own life over it.

There had to be other underlying issues for this tragedy to occur.

For those calling for the blood of the Radio station and the DJs, take a long, deep look inside yourselves.

A simple prank with a totally unforeseen and tragic ending.

This.
Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Elks]

Originally Posted by LG17

For those calling for the blood of the Radio station and the DJs, take a long, deep look inside yourselves.

A simple prank with a totally unforeseen and tragic ending.

I have to disagree. A busy nurse during a shift, gets a call from the "Palace", puts it through. Now she is forever the person who put the call through. This would have consequences for her career if not immediately certainly going forward. Are you really happy to end someones career for a cheap laugh?

Whist the extent of the tragedy couldn't be forseen, that there would be career ending, consequences for those involved is easy to forsee.

The media in general needs to lift their standards, be it this or other rubbish parading as news such as A Current Affair, Today Tonight, Wheels Magazine.

As far as im concerned those involved at the radio station should be charged, and extradited to stand trial, not with murder, a "reasonable" person couldnt have forseen that, but with reckless endagerment or something like that.

If you took your car out and did a skid in an empty industrial estate, you will be charged, and treated quite harshly because of the possibilty of unintentionally injuring someone. These people actually did harm, they were very happy to take the praise, yesterday when it was all funny. They need to stand up again today.

My 2c

[Jim Goose]

Last week on the local radio station they played a crank call which had gone really out of hand. (no idea which station or who the presenters were).
I dont know the exact details of what they said as it was playing in the back ground, but they had called a woman who was planning her wedding, the woman reacted badly and started to SCREAM at the top of her lungs hysterically at the guy on the phone.
Lots of swearing which went on for about 2 or 3 mins!

We were all dumbfounded in the office thinking that the womans future husband is about to marry some psyco and that the wedding would be called off because of this stupid prank call. The woman really had issues (listening to her hysterics was very embarressing to say the least) and had seriously lost it over the phone.

The station that replayed it over the air really did cross the line as it should never have been broadcast.

[tex]

LG17, you nailed my thoughts on this matter.

[tex]

There's a local rad station in Hobart that actually has a daily segment called 'crazy calls.."

Prank calls, station presenters ringing unsuspecting people in the guise of lawyers, transport inspectors, ATO officials, council staff.

They got one of my mates badly - posing as insurance loss assessor calling about a recenyt claim he put in for fire damage to a light truck he recently bought, around 15k claim... they were 'rejecting' the claim based on the 'circumstances' that had just come to light. And he reacted as you'd expect a pretty hard ***, hard working country boy would. Insert lots of expletives in the radio playback LOL.

You lot calling for an end to prank stuff...

Close down the likes of Chasers, etc etc?

Ive been the subject of a prank letter. It had Tas Pol letter head, and demanded me hand in my drivers licence. Hahahaha. and the bugger that sent it to me didn't call me for two days! Set up by my wife! Dang.

[MITCHAY]

Oh please a normal person isn't going to kill them self because they looked a knob after a prank call least of all a 46 old mother of two with a husband.

[tex]

Try this one. Hobart radio station.

This went viral.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&h...&v=52byisiatRg

If you're easily offended, do not listen

[XRGhia]

Originally Posted by tex

Try this one. Hobart radio station.

This went viral.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&h...&v=52byisiatRg

If you're easily offended, do not listen

Reminds me of my local station, 101.3 SeaFM who get Paddy to do "Gotcha Calls"... Harmless fun, and usually people look at you funny while your laughing your *** off in the car.

[Elks]

Originally Posted by tex

Try this one. Hobart radio station.

This went viral.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&h...&v=52byisiatRg

If you're easily offended, do not listen

I actually met this guy through work. He's a genuine salt of the earth trucker. Just trying to do a job. He was horrified at what had happened.

This is just bullying in disguise.

[Matty4]

Very poor thread title too if you ask me...

[galaxy xr8]

It amazes me that in this day and age with OH&S you CAN NOT play any prank's or form of bullying in the workplace, but yet social media is a blaze with it and thrive on it.

Don't we already have another thread here that is about a boss assulting his employee and many have said get onto OH&S ????.


It is no different no matter what form of harrasment or bullying, in this day and age it is outlawed and the workplace take thing's very seriously,

So why on earth do social media do not have to answer to the same legislation ?.

[stevz]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

It amazes me that in this day and age with OH&S you CAN NOT play any prank's or form of bullying in the workplace, but yet social media is a blaze with it and thrive on it.

Don't we already have another thread here that is about a boss assulting his employee and many have said get onto OH&S ????.


It is no different no matter what form of harrasment or bullying, in this day and age it is outlawed and the workplace take thing's very seriously,

So why on earth do social media do not have to answer to the same legislation ?.

Social media = Cancer of society.

[usernametaken]

This prank call was on a global scale not local.

This woman sounded like she took great pride in her work and no doubt felt embarrassed and like she had let down the hospital, the Royal Family - especially Kate, and her own family.

It's a lot of stuff to take on board.

That would affect anyone.

RIP

[gcg2503]

We had a member of AFF member commit suicide a few years back.

A lot more compassion was shown then.

Dont recall anyone making any comments about their state of mind or them not being normal.